General Manager, Plant Operations

Position Summary

We are seeking a seasoned and results-driven General Manager, Plant Operations to assume full operational and financial leadership for a large-scale manufacturing facility in Johor. This role is a pure operational leadership mandate, requiring the successful candidate to manage a complete, multi-functional plant team while driving continuous improvement in efficiency, quality, and cost control. The Director will hold full P&L accountability for the plant and must be an expert in the oleochemical or related heavy chemical manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities: Operational & Financial Leadership

The Plant Director is responsible for managing a full-fledged team across all site functions: Production, Maintenance, QA/QC, Sales, Logistics, and Warehouse.

• P&L and Financial Management: Maintain full P&L accountability for the plant. Strategically manage and control plant costs, consumption, and operational expenditures to ensure alignment with budget and profitability targets.
  

• Operational Excellence & Efficiency: Formulate and execute strategies to drive operational excellence and significantly enhance operational efficiency. Benchmark performance against global best practices to optimize production output and quality.
  

• Headcount & Resource Management: Oversee all aspects of headcount and resource management across the plant. Develop a high-performing leadership team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across all departments.
  

• Production & Maintenance Oversight: Directly supervise plant operations, ensuring production schedules are met safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standard (QA/QC). Champion robust maintenance programs to minimize downtime.
  

• Consumption Management: Implement strict control and reporting systems for utility, material, and resource consumption management to drive cost reduction initiatives.
  

• Compliance and Safety: Oversee and enforce strict compliance with all safety, environmental (DOE), and regulatory requirements within the plant.
  

Requirements

Experience & Expertise

• Industrial Depth: Minimum of 15 to 20 years of progressive experience in oleochemical manufacturing or related chemical industries, with a deep, hands-on operational foundation.
  

• Leadership Track Record: Proven experience in a senior Plant/Factory General Management capacity, demonstrated by the successful leadership and management of a full, multi-functional plant team (Production, Maintenance, QA/QC, Logistics, etc.).
  

• Financial Acumen: Must possess strong business acumen and verifiable experience managing full P&L responsibility and driving complex operational transformation or turnaround initiatives.
  

• Transformation: Experience in leading major performance improvement programs and implementing best practices in a complex chemical processing environment.
  

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline is mandatory. A Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent) is a significant advantage.
  

• Leadership: Exceptional leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management skills, with the proven ability to influence and engage teams across all organizational levels.